Minuteman Press Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
- Investment
- $237K – $315K
- Disclosed sales
- $770K
- gross sales, not profit
- SBA charge-off
- 24.1%
- on 460 loans
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Minuteman Press is a B2B printing and marketing-services franchise offering commercial printing, copying, signage, and finishing. Franchisees run print shops selling to local businesses and managing production and customer accounts.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A Minuteman Press franchise requires a total initial investment of $237K – $315K, including a $49K franchise fee and an ongoing 6.0% royalty[2]. Per the 2026 FDD, average unit revenue was $770K[2]. SBA 7(a) loans show a 24.1% charge-off rate across 460 loans[1]. FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Sources, dates and evidence
FDD issued: · Data extracted: · Last cited check: · Staleness risk: low - issued within the last 12 months
Evidence: strong✓ Investment (Item 7)✓ Item 19 status✓ Units and owners (Item 20)✓ SBA loan coverage✓ Litigation (Item 3)✓ Financial statements (Item 21)✓ Franchisor identityhow this is scored7 of 7 headline figures on this page cite a page of the filing.
Overview
- Investment
- $237K – $315K
- 58th pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- $770K
- 10th pct Business Serv…
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- 9th pct Business Serv…
- Units
- 1,039
- 64th pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- 24.1%
- % of SBA 7(a) loans not repaid · median varies by category
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services median · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $237K – $315K including a $49K franchise fee, 6.0% ongoing royalty.
- RETURNSAverage unit revenue of $770K/year (median $560K).
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 56/100 (higher is better). SBA loan charge-off rate of 24.1% across 460 loans (well above the 16% franchise average, based on all SBA 7(a) franchise lending, 2010–2025).
- GROWTHPositive: net +23 franchised outlets in the latest year (33 opened, 10 closed) (Item 20).
- TERMSNo protected territory and the franchisor reserves the right to compete in your area. Clarify territorial boundaries before signing.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Minuteman Press International, Inc.
- Predecessor
- Minuteman Press Corp.
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- Chief Executive Officer & Director
- Robert Titus
- Incorporated in
- NY
- HQ
- 61 Executive Boulevard, Farmingdale, New York 11735
- Auditor
- Bloom Hochberg & Co., P.C.
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $39.1M
- vs $36.9M prior year
Independent franchisee associations
- Franchise Advisory Council (FAC)
Franchisee-led councils or alliances disclosed in Item 20. Indicates operator voice.
Overview
About
- CEO
- Robert Titus
- Headquarters
- NY
- Founded
- 1975
- FDD year
- 2026
- States available
- 49
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 108% above the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown15 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $35K | $49K | |
| Real Estate | $2K | $10K | |
| Real Estate Security Deposit | $3K | $10K | |
| Equipment Package Deposit (if leased) | — | — | |
| Equipment Package | $108K | $108K | |
| Xerox Leased Equipment | $907 | $907 | |
| Equipment Package (Reconditioned) (if available) | — | — | |
| IT/Computer & Networking | $2K | $3K | |
| Software | $0 | $8K | |
| Insurance (6 months) | $2K | $3K | |
| Shipping | $7K | $10K | |
| Professional Fees | $1K | $10K | |
| Utility Deposits | $1K | $2K | |
| Business Licenses | $1K | $2K | |
| Additional Funds (0-6 months) | $75K | $100K | |
| Total initial investment | $237K | $315K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $237K – $315K
- Middle of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $75K – $100K
- Middle of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $49K – $49K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- 6.0%
- typical 6–8%
- Ad fund
- -n/d
- Total fee load
- 6.0%
- vs 9–13% typical
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Royalty | 6.0% of gross sales |
| Technology fee | $405 |
| Training fee | $49K |
| Transfer fee | $35K |
| Renewal fee | $0 |
| Total fee load | 6.0% of rev |
A 6.0% total fee load is unusually lean. More of each revenue dollar stays with the franchisee.
What do units actually make?
Average unit sales run 12% above the business services norm.
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 19
Single-unit · not modelled
Returns at a glance
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit, and the operating costs that turn one into the other are in no filing. We publish no modelled return for Minuteman Press until someone supplies them — yours, in the models below.
—
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
Total invested capital · disclosed
$364K
Item 7 initial investment plus working capital, as filed — the one figure here that needs no assumption.
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
What one unit earns on your invested capital
Model A · Single-Unit Return
Computes unlevered return on invested capital (ROIC) for a single franchise unit, read against the 30–60% reference band · Yale SOM, Post-MBA Path Exhibit 2 (2023). Below that band a passive index fund likely outperforms; above it the franchisor has pricing power you're subsidizing.
Note: Item 19 revenue is what the franchisor discloses, and it is the top line only — gross sales are not profit. No FDD discloses the operating costs that turn one into the other, so those fields start empty and nothing is modelled until you supply them from your own lease quote, labor market and build-out budget.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one Minuteman Press unit return on the cash you put in?
Illustrative category typicals — not sourced to any filing, survey or sample. Replace them with figures from franchisee validation calls before you rely on the output.
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Your modelled return on total invested capital, before any debt financing.
—
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
What 25 units return when you use SBA financing
Model B · Return on Equity: Debt-Financed Acquisition
Models a 25-unit portfolio acquisition financed with an SBA 7(a) loan. Shows equity IRR (your return on cash invested), DSCR (how safely the cash flow covers debt service), and the capital stack (SBA + seller + equity breakdown).
This is the “search fund” or “entrepreneurship through acquisition” scenario: you buy an existing multi-unit operator, use leverage to amplify returns, and either operate or hire management. The 25-unit size is the typical minimum for an SBA-backed franchise portfolio acquisition to pencil as a full-time income.
What “return on equity” means here: if you put in $500K of your own cash and the business generates enough EBITDA to pay down debt and grow, your equity IRR is the annual return on that $500K, including the value created when you eventually sell. Target IRR for a search fund is typically 25–35%.
Not modelled yet
An FDD discloses gross sales, not profit. We hold no sourced figure for ad fund rate, COGS, labour, rent / occupancy and other operating costs, and will not substitute an assumed one. Enter your own and the model runs on your assumptions.
A 25-unit return is built on a per-unit EBITDA. Fill in the operating costs in Model A above and this model runs on that figure, or take the whole scenario to the full ROI workbench, where the portfolio and LBO models accept your own per-unit economics directly.
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2026 FDD
Financial Performance
- Avg gross sales
- $770K
- Per unit, per year
- Median gross sales
- $560K
Gross sales are revenue before expenses — not profit. Actual owner earnings depend on rent, labor, royalties, marketing fees, and debt service.
- Item 19 type
- gross sales
- Sample size
- 609 outlets
- vs category median 37 · large
- Range (low → high)
- $71K→$16.0MCited, not corroborated — printed on page 33 of the 2026 FDD. Nothing else in our record independently restates or re-derives it.
- Cohort dispersion (min → max)
- Reporting year
- 2025
- Fiscal year the figures cover
- Source filing
- FDD 2026
- Disclosed in the 2026 filing, covering 2025
- Transparency
- 7 / 10
- vs category median 3 / 10 · above
Compared against 296 Business Services brands
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Unit economics
Average unit generates $770K/year in gross sales. Median is $560K — top performers pull the average up, so a typical unit earns less. Revenue-to-investment ratio: 2.8x.
Fee burden
Total ongoing fee load of 6.0% — below the Business Services median of 9.0%.
Disclosure
Transparency score 7/10 — this franchisor discloses detailed breakdowns (quartiles, segments, or cohort data). Buyers can model unit economics with higher confidence.
Operator retention
System roughly stable (+4.3% 3-year CAGR) with 1,039 units.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Business Services medians
How Minuteman Press Compares
Category median of published Business Services brands that report the figure; the middle half spans the 25th to 75th percentile and n counts the brands behind it. Medians are used because a few very large systems pull an average far from the typical brand. Revenue is disclosed gross sales, not profit.
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2026 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 1,039
- Opened
- 33
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 10
- Turnover rate
- 1.0%
- Company-owned
- 0
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- +4.3%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- +4.3%
- Compounded over last 3 years
Last fiscal year · Item 20 exits and transfers
- Transfer rate
- 4.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Termination rate
- 0.5%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 1.0%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 49 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
49
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) and 504 loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
- Total loans
- 460
- Loan volume
- $97.8M
- Median loan
- $119K
- 50th percentile
- Charge-off rate
- 24.1%
- on 460 loans · rates vary by category · see methodology
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- 75.9%
- 5-yr charge-off
- 14.3%
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 151
- Defaults
- 92
- Typical loan rate
- 7.3%
- avg rate to borrowers
- Franchised industry avg
- 12.3%
- brand above franchise avg ↑
- Jobs supported
- 1,783
- 1.8 per loan
- Lender concentration
- 7%
- top lender's share
Borrower mix: 40% went to startups / new businesses, 60% to established operators
Franchise vs independent — in commercial gravure printing, franchised businesses charge off at 12.3% vs 6.7% for independents — franchising is associated with 84% higher SBA default risk in this category.
Vintage analysis
Minuteman Press charge-off rate by loan vintage
Top lenders financing Minuteman Press franchisees
Showing 3 of 151 lenders. The full breakdown — every lender, state distribution, interest rates & risk ratings — is in the SBA Lending Report below.
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
Lender network · 7(a) + 504
SBA Lending Report
Full lending analysis for Minuteman Press from SBA 7(a) FOIA data.
- Principal loss rate
- 10.6%
- Avg SBA guarantee
- 72%
- Avg interest rate
- 7.25%
- Avg chargeoff amount
- $113K
- Lender concentration
- 6.7%
- Job velocity
- 1.8 per $100K
- Startup risk premium
- -2.2pp
- NAICS benchmark
- 20.4%
- NAICS 323111
- Jobs supported
- 1,783
Top SBA lendersTop lender holds 7% of loans
| # | Lender | Loans | Volume | Default % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PNC Bank, National Association | 31 | $3.0M | 35.5% |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National Association | 28 | $9.0M | 15.4% |
| 3 | Bank of America, National Association | 23 | $1.9M | 17.4% |
| 4 | The Huntington National Bank | 23 | $7.3M | 54.5% |
| 5 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association | 18 | $1.6M | 31.2% |
| 6 | Community West Bank | 16 | $3.0M | 25.0% |
| 7 | Columbia Bank | 13 | $2.7M | 36.4% |
| 8 | Readycap Lending, LLC | 11 | $1.3M | 70.0% |
| 9 | U.S. Bank, National Association | 9 | $741K | 33.3% |
| 10 | BMO Bank National Association | 8 | $1.8M | 33.3% |
Geographic failure vector
| State | Loans | Defaults | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| TXTexas | 70 | 21 | 32.8% |
| CACalifornia | 62 | 6 | 12.2% |
| OHOhio | 39 | 4 | 14.8% |
| PAPennsylvania | 28 | 1 | 5.0% |
| FLFlorida | 26 | 5 | 25.0% |
| MAMassachusetts | 21 | 1 | 5.0% |
| WAWashington | 16 | 4 | 30.8% |
| MNMinnesota | 15 | 2 | 16.7% |
| KYKentucky | 13 | 2 | 18.2% |
| WIWisconsin | 12 | 3 | 25.0% |
SBA 7(a) lending trend
Borrower profile
Source: SBA 7(a) + 504 FOIA loan-level data, matched by FranchiseVerdict
A 24.1% charge-off rate means roughly 1 in 4 franchisees failed to repay their SBA loan. Investigate what changed.
What could kill this investment?
SBA loans charge off at 24.1% — 50% above the 16.0% national norm, i.e. higher lender-observed risk.
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Minuteman Press presents meaningful risk through stagnant growth, undisclosed profitability, territorial conflicts, and a concerning litigation history involving misrepresentation claims—warranting careful due diligence before investment.
Litigation (Item 3)
Subject: the franchisor is a named party (defendant).
1 pending arbitration (Weston v. Minuteman); 2 concluded cases (H&H Printing; Astoria Natives); 2 injunctions/consent orders (Washington State DFI 1994; FTC 1998)
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Bloom Hochberg & Co., P.C.
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Franchisor total revenue of $39,055,997 for year ended December 31, 2025 is disclosed in Item 8 (not in audited statements; Exhibit G financial statements not present in extracted text). Equipment sales to franchisees were $133,796 (2.9%) and MMP Supply goods sales $317,195 (0.81%) of total revenue.
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
Score breakdown · what drove the 56 / 100 verdict
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (2.3% YoY) indicates declining franchise appeal in mature market
- 02HIGHMultiple litigation cases including fraudulent misrepresentation claims and historical FTC injunction suggest compliance and disclosure issues
- 03MINORNo Item 19 (average net income) disclosure prevents verification of profitability claims against stated $769,858 average revenue
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk between franchisees in same market
- 05MINORConsent order with Washington State Department of Financial Institutions indicates regulatory action
- 06HIGHHistorical pattern of settlement agreements (2 concluded) and pending litigation (William Weston case) suggests ongoing operational friction
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Ongoing fees run about 6.0% of sales (royalty + ad fund), before rent and labor.
Source: FDD 2026 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 35 years |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 35 years |
| Allowed renewalsℹ | 1 |
| Territory type | No territory protection |
| Protected territory | No |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | No |
| Online sales rights | Granted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Required |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Non-compete (miles)ℹ | 5 mi |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Transfer requires consent | Yes |
| Termination notice | 10 days |
| Curable defaultsℹ | 3 |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Arbitration location | New York |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | NY |
| Litigation count | 5 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
1 pending arbitration (Weston v. Minuteman); 2 concluded cases (H&H Printing; Astoria Natives); 2 injunctions/consent orders (Washington State DFI 1994; FTC 1998)
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 64 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 88 hrs
- Training location
- Minuteman's headquarters in New York (or remote/virtual)
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Field support
- 60 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Franchisor financing
- Offered
- Item 10
- POS system
- FLEX Management Software
- Operating tech stack
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Technology: FLEX Management Software
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
820 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a Minuteman Press franchise?
The total investment to open a Minuteman Press franchise ranges from $237K – $315K, with an initial franchise fee of $49K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do Minuteman Press franchise owners earn?
According to Item 19 of the Minuteman Press FDD, the average gross sales per unit is $770K. The median is $560K. Note: this is gross revenue, not profit. Actual owner earnings vary based on location, operating costs, and management.
Who owns Minuteman Press?
Minuteman Press is franchised by Minuteman Press International, Inc.. Source: FDD Item 1, 2026 filing.
What is Item 19 in the Minuteman Press FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the Minuteman Press FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is Minuteman Press's franchise failure rate?
Based on SBA 7(a) loan data, Minuteman Press has a charge-off rate of 24.1% across 460 loans, meaning 24.1% of franchise loans were charged off. Charge-off rates are one proxy for franchise risk, though they do not capture all closures. This data comes from FOIA-sourced SBA lending records.
How many Minuteman Press franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, Minuteman Press has 1,039 total units in the United States, including 1,039 franchised units and 0 company-owned units. 33 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is Minuteman Press a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates Minuteman Press as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 56 out of 100 (higher is better). The grade is a deterministic score built from six weighted dimensions — financial health, unit economics, unit growth, scale, legal, and transparency — then calibrated against SBA loan charge-off rates and FDD age. Transparency is one of the six, so a filing that discloses less scores lower on that dimension than one that discloses more. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.